Buhari meets with APC governors, agrees on zoning

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday played host to 18 governors on the platform of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Top on the agenda are issues that have plague the party causing rancour within its fold.

Speaking earlier of the meeting, Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum, Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, said it was aimed at mending the cracks in the party due to the wrangling that had polarised the leadership of the party.

The Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the APC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, had on Monday, at the end of its 20th regular meeting, announced that the party’s zonal congresses had been fixed for March 12, while the convention had been slated for March 26.

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Bugudu who addressed journalists after a PGF’s meeting on Tuesday, said: “We had briefings from the Chairman of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party, Governor Mai-Mala Buni of Yobe State.

“And we discussed the meeting we are going to have with Mr. President today to further discuss on the party’s convention. Until we finish the meeting with Mr. President, we would not comment on any timetable and any logistics.

”All the APC Governors have met and as always, have appreciated the need to work together with the other stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the party has also agreed to alternate offices between the north and south in the forthcoming dispensation.

Disclosing this while responding to a question, Kaduna Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i dispelled reports of division among the APC Governors.

He however admitted there were disagreements overtime for the party’s National Convention.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, El-Rufa’i revealed that agreement had been reached on the zoning formula.

Explaining the newly agreed arrangements with regards to sharing positions in the party, El-Rufa’i said all offices that were occupied by northerners in the last eight years will go to the south and vice versa under the new arrangement.

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“We have agreed a zoning formula for all the six geo-political zones. Essentially, northern zone will have the positions the South had in the last eight years and vice versa.

“It is a very simple, equitable and fair formula. We will now go back and consult at the zonal level and look at the positions that are available and the process of the convention preparation we started in earnest. So, by the grace of God, on the 26th of March, we would have done our national convention,” he said.

At the meeting were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

Eighteen of the Governors are in attendance at the meeting taking place at the Council Chambers.